


Let The Rock Roll

by DawnDragon32



Series: Dakota's AftG Fic's/One Shot's [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Do NOT copy to another website, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, POV Neil Josten, Something weird happens if you go wtf in the moment I explain in the notes, academia au, rich kids au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:01:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnDragon32/pseuds/DawnDragon32
Summary: “Hi, I’m Neil Josten, I’m here to start the semester late?”He found that for most of his life, sounding stupid meant people would be more willing to help. And indeed, she immediately started to look through files on her desk and computer.“Yes, you're right here. Traveling? Oh, I see, your mother was sick last year. Well, I’m glad she’s doing better then.”“She isn’t.” Neil immediately wanted to get out of there, the lie burning on his tongue even though it wasn’t the first time he had told it.
Relationships: Background Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau/Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker, Background Kevin Day/Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Background Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan " Wilds, Background Matt Boyd/Seth Gordon, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Dakota's AftG Fic's/One Shot's [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929010
Comments: 2
Kudos: 79





	Let The Rock Roll

**Author's Note:**

> Tw for: Hints of Andrew and Neil's pasts.
> 
> Title from the song Sisyphus - Andrew Bird
> 
> (Writing Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zTG8CeHThCUfHfG4lcko0)
> 
> I've been thinking of this fic since December, and been working on it since early last month, so I am very happy to finally have it out and posted.

Neil walked down the hall, pushing his chin length hair behind one ear, keeping an eye on everyone around him while seeming like he wasn’t paying attention to anything. The sounds of the other students around him were all at once disorienting and thrilling.

He had spent too long in his car, reading a map of the grounds on a little brochure his uncle had shoved into his hands the week before. He hadn’t really needed to study it for so long, he had spent the time since he had it doing so, but he had been more nervous then he had thought he was going to be.

He sidestepped a group of people who looked to be around his age, catching the eye of one of them. As fast as their eyes met, they are looking away from each other, and Neil is stepping into the office.

When he was there, he shook his head, trying to clear the image of the almost golden eyes he had seen from his mind. He looked up and found the receptionist looking at him, an odd smile on her face,

“Hey there hon, what can I help you with?”

Neil put on his most award winning smile,

“Hi, I’m Neil Josten, I’m here to start the semester late?”

He found that for most of his life, sounding stupid meant people would be more willing to help. And indeed, she immediately started to look through files on her desk and computer.

“Yes, you're right here. Traveling? Oh, I see, your mother was sick last year. Well, I’m glad she’s doing better then.”

“She isn’t.” Neil immediately wanted to get out of there, the lie burning on his tongue even though it wasn’t the first time he had told it.

“Oh.” The receptionist pulled his file closer to herself, flipping the page, and sheepishly typing something into the computer. Probably chewing out whoever hadn’t updated his online file about his mothers ‘death’, and his ‘adoption’.

“Well, I can give you a schedule and here is a detailed map of the rooms. This is your room key, you’ll have to tell the movers where your room is. I think that is all. I hope you enjoy your time with us Neil.”

He walked out of the room without even looking back, flipping through the stack of papers she had given him. He didn’t feel the need to tell her that he packed light enough that he wasn’t even going to be making three trips from his car, or that his enjoying being there wouldn't be possible.

\- 

Neil’s room mate was nice. Almost too nice. Matt talked non-stop as Neil put his clothes away. He had to hand it to whoever designed them, they were fancy enough for what he thought the rest of the rich boys living there would consider ‘home-y’. Not even really sharing a room, but more like a two room apartment.

When he got in the room, Matt had jumped right up to help him move his stuff, and so the three trips turned into one.

“Seth hangs around here often, but he doesn’t usually stay the night.”

He was rambler it seemed.

-

Seth was, as it turned out, also a rambler. 

Neil didn’t like some of the things he said, and by the looks of things, Matt didn’t either.

But when they were done getting lunch together, Matt pulled Neil aside,

“I know he says stuff, awful stuff sometimes, but please know, he doesn’t really believe it. I think a lot of it is internalized, and taught. You know how it is. Rich parents are either super chill, or super strict.”

Neil just nodded along, not knowing how to tell Matt that he wasn’t there to make friends, unsure if maybe he had accidentally made one already.

“But once you get to know him, he is abundantly loyal.”

Neil didn’t have anything to add, so he remained silent. It didn’t deter Matt.

“Now. The Monsters. You need to stay away from them.”

Neil just raised an eyebrow at him, and continued walking in the direction his map said his class was.

-

It was at another one of the lunch meetings the next week, with Matt and Seth, and their group of friends, that he finally understood who Matt was talking about when he said, ‘The Monsters’. He had been talking about how much Neil needed to stay away from them the whole time he had been there, but had never bothered to put a name to the faces.

The group of boys that Neil had seen on his first day walked into the room, and Seth let out a low quiet whistle.

“Now there is something you don’t see every day. The Monsters, eating with the common folk.”

Neil watched from the corner of his eye. The group consisted of three, two blondes, almost identical, and one tall brunet. One that he recognized. Neil swallowed hard. Kevin Day.

Neil had used to think great things about Kevin, but since the scandal with the Moriyama’s he had known he was wrong. He had nothing but pity for him now. But, then again, pity was also the only thing he had for himself.

Matt talking brought him out of his deep thoughts,

“Those are The Monsters. Kevin Day, Aaron Minyard, and Andrew Minyard. Apparently Andrew, the oldest twin, runs a cult.”

One of the other boys cut in as Seth and Matt turned back to the rest of the table, “It's a quote unquote, secret society. Like real life is a novel.”

Matt rolled his eyes,

“Yeah, whatever. I’ve heard rumors, apparently they get together and drink rat blood with a group of kids from this school and another one across the state.”

Neil had eaten a rat before. He much preferred the chicken in front of him, and not the unpleasant reminder of rats. Seth snorted,

“I hear that there’s ten members of his so-called, secret society.”

Neil didn’t bother telling them they were making asses of themselves while one of the twins was right behind them. Seth continued while Neil made eye contact with the Minyard currently standing two inches behind his acquaintances,

“I hear Andrew would have done jail time if his cousin hadn’t bailed him out. Apparently his mommy dearest was gonna let him rot.”

Neil couldn’t tell if it was Aaron or Andrew behind them, but he could tell that whoever it was, was getting amused.

“Yeah, what was he charged with? Attempted murder? He was gonna be put away for life.”

As Matt said this, Minyard leaned forward, “It was ruled as justified, I would have only gotten six years.”

‘Ah, Andrew then’, Neil thought to himself, taking another bite of his chicken salad, ‘I wonder how Matt would feel if he knew that I have killed a man’.

Matt, currently, looked like he had peed his pants. Seth looked more angry then frightened at the fact that Andrew was currently leaning forward on their table between them, propping himself on one hand.

“Hello there. I’m Andrew Minyard.” He was speaking directly to Neil.

“Yeah, I kinda know.” Neil was supposed to lay low, and keep a low profile. Not cause drama.

Andrew smirked at him.

Neil had never been good at not causing drama, it’s what had gotten him beat the most as a kid.

“Yeah, I bet you do. Or you know the idea of me. I’ll see you later Neil.”

He walked away, and Neil watched him. Eyes on the way his hand clenched and unclenched, like he was nervous about something.

Matt looked pissed, “How did he know your name?”

Neil rolled his eyes and didn’t bother reminding him that he had classes with Andrew.

-

It wasn’t until later that afternoon that Neil felt anything about the conversation he had with Andrew. It wasn’t like Andrew actually scared him, but the name Minyard meant something in his circle, his uncle having a pseudo rivalry with Tilda Minyard. Personal, in their country club, a rivalry born of actual hatred of a person, rather than one of business.

Neil wondered if maybe Andrew had found out about his uncle, despite the different last name. He wondered if that was something he needed to worry about.

He wasn’t going to get anything done pacing his room, and wondering about it, so he grabbed his bag, slid back into his shoes, and walked with purpose out his bedroom door.

Matt was sitting on the couch, books all around him. He didn’t look up as Neil left, and Neil was a little thankful for that.

The library was at the other end of the school, and by the time he got there, Neil was glad for it, the walk giving him time to actually clear his head enough to concentrate on the project he was working on.

He was walking the isles, taking his time finding the book he needed, when he heard something in the next isle over. It was one of the metal ones, with nothing in between, so when leaned down slightly, he could see two familiar people.

Aaron Minyard was kissing Kevin Day. Looked like they had been at it awhile, considering the state of Kevin’s hair.

Neil’s eyebrows drew together in surprise, but he just straightened up, and skipped that isle on his search for the book.

He was lucky that it was the aisle after, and not the one they were down.

-

It was after one class later that week that Andrew approached him. He was putting his books in his bag, wondering if he should have gotten a bigger one, and if Uncle Stuart would send him a different one if he asked, when Andrew walked to the front of Neil’s desk.

Neil could see him in his peripheral, but Neil didn't look up until Andrew leaned on the desk with one hand, impatiently tapping his fingers like he was playing the piano.

When he did Andrew raised an amused eyebrow at him,

“Hello Neil. I’ll walk you to your next class.”

Neil didn’t bother trying to stop him, just getting up and walking out of the room, Andrew at his side.

“So Neil. Do you believe in fate?”

Neil snorted, “What kind of question is that. Do you?”

Andrew waved a hand in front of himself, “Luck then?”

Neil adjusted his bag, pulling it closer to himself, “Only the bad.”

Andrew gave a half laugh, almost there but just short enough that if Neil hadn’t been listening to him closely he would have missed it, “Well, I’ll be sure to tell Kevin. He wants me to get you to come with us.”

“Come with you?”

Neil could feel dread in his stomach,

“Yes. To our meeting. Tomorrow. He thinks you're interesting.”

Neil felt like his stomach was in his shoes.

“Interesting? And what do you think of me?”

Andrew paused, and Neil stopped with him, only just realizing they were at his next class, and the boys around them were all looking. Andrew looked him up and down,

“I think you're just interesting enough to hold my attention. For awhile. It won’t last.”

Neil looked him in the eye, and started to walk into class, before he could pass, Andrew grabbed his arm,

“When I come for you, don’t ignore me.”

Neil walked into the room, his arm still tingling where Andew had grabbed him, trying to ignore the stares.

-

Neil was tapping his pencil against the table, the assignment in front of him wasn’t getting done that day, but Matt didn’t need to know that the reason he was in the library was so that Andrew wouldn’t come to their room. He had been hoping that Matt would have stayed in their room, but when Neil had grabbed his bag, Matt had gotten his and gone with him.

Matt was actually good study company, he was quiet and focused on his own work, and he didn’t tell Neil to stop his tapping.

Matt looked up to say something, probably to ask about a math problem, something he had started to take advantage of once he found out Neil was good with numbers, when his happy smile turned into a stern line of frustration.

Neil didn’t need three guesses to know Andrew was approaching them.

Neil silently started gathering his things into his bag, and a hand came down on the back of his chair.

“Ah, just getting done I see? Good, good.”

Matt started to get out of his chair, but Neil just stood up, “see you back at the dorm?”

Matt’s expression shifted to one of utter disbelief, “Your going with him?”

Neil shrugged one shoulder, “I’ll be back later.”

Neil tried not to think about the look Matt sent him as he walked away, Andrew sending a mocking wave behind him.

-

Neil watched Andrew from the passenger seat. He hadn’t said anything on the way out of the building, just shoved him into his stupid sports car, of course he had a sports car and pointed a finger at him while he shut the door for him.

Kevin, Aaron and Nicky were talking in the back, something about how Andrew was driving like an old man, but when Neil looked at the speedometer he was going ten above the speed limit.

“What’s the point?” Neil let it slip from his mouth without thought, without his normal thinking it through ten times to see if it was the right thing to say. Something about Andrew was dangerous, and it wasn’t the fact that he was a rich boy who had no remorse about what happened to anyone else, it was the way that Neil felt he could say anything to him and find nothing there. No judgement, no pity.

Andrew tilted his head to show that he was listening to Neil.

“What’s the point of this? You run a secret society? What’s the point? So in five, ten, twenty years you can have a get together and if you're still alive you’ll brag about how well off you are from investing in mommy’s money?”

The more Neil talked the more he could see Andrew getting amused. The glint in his eyes, and twitch of his lips.

“Oh Neil, I like how you added an amendment on if I’ll live that long.” He turned them down a gravel road, his left leg bent up, and his elbow leaning on it making the turn look effortless. He looked relaxed, even with Neil grilling him, “but if you must know, it’s about the aesthetic.” 

His hand not on the wheel came up and made flashy motion when he said ‘the aesthetic’. Andrew didn’t speak with his hands a lot, and if he did it was for comedic effect, or just perfect timing, something Neil had noticed rather quickly.

“The aesthetic?” Neil let his incredulity in his voice.

“Yes Neil,” Andrew said it with a hint of exasperation, “I like the aesthetic of wearing school uniforms and reading old or sad books, and everyone thinking I’m capable of murder, while only living off coffee and cigarets and secrets. And I have the opportunity to live it in my actual teens, while some white chick in her 20s is out there dreaming of being me.” At the end he brought his cigarette up and took a long drag from it.

“Ah. And then your closest friends kill you before you can graduate?” Neil felt something in his chest swell, he liked bantering with Andrew, he liked being able to be snarky and instead of having someone become frustrated with him, snark right back.

Andrew laughed, honestly laughed, and Neill felt his chest swell more, “Will you be the one to push me off the cliff?”

Before Neil could answer with the likelihood of the possibility of becoming friends with Andrew, they pulled into a field, parking along with a whole bunch of other expensive cars that Neil thought would never see gravel, let alone actual dirt. 

Andrew turned to him, his smirk still in place, “Welcome to my secret society.”

-

Their secret society meeting turned out to be just a group hang out. Almost twenty people, some that Neil recognized, Jeremy and Jean from their rival school who were with Allison Reynolds and Renee Walker from an all girls school on the other side of town. Andrew walked over to join them, Aaron not to far behind, but he broke off to go talk to a different girl that had come with Reynolds and Walker.

The area itself was mostly a clearing, but there was a creek lined with trees, and some of the others were already down there, throwing rocks into the water.

Neil started that way, and that was when he noticed Kevin had stayed with him. He looked at him from the corner of his eye. He had figured Kevin wouldn’t stay away too long. His first adopted family and Neil’s father had been business partners and Neil had stopped dying his hair a long time ago. Stopped hiding from people who couldn’t get to him anymore.

They stopped near a big tree, the leaves changing into a brilliant purple.

“Hello Kevin.”

“Nathaniel. I thought-” 

Neil cut him off with a sigh.

“It’s Neil now. I thought so too.”

In the end they ended up talking about how Neil was alive. How Kevin was alive. And how both of them got to be where they were. Neil thought it was a good talk.

In the end, Kevin hesitantly put his arm around Neil’s shoulder, and when Neil let him, he hugged Neil a bit more tightly. Neil threw his arm around Kevin’s waist and hugged back.

-

Neil stared down at the tiny pin in his palm, Andrew’s words ringing in his ears;

“I don’t care what you tell people, you can tell them the truth for all I care, but you're in this now, so you wear that wherever you go, and everyone else wearing that pin takes priority over anyone who isn’t.”

That had been after he had kicked everyone else out of the car, and then after his little speech, told him to get out.

He sat the tiny thing down on his desk. It couldn’t have been bigger than a pencil eraser, and he could tell it was real gold. The symbol, a little siren, caught forever singing some sad tune. A Monster.

Neil got a crazy idea, but this whole thing was a crazy idea. Matt had told him to stay away from Minyard and his group of Monsters, and here he was, becoming one of them.

Neil got out a fingernail file, and started taking the pointed end off the pin very slowly.

-

Neil turned the corner in the library. Andrew was in the isle. He was sitting, back against the section of books, his phone on one knee, and a leather bound journal on the other. It looked like he was copying info from one to the other.

He paid him no mind, wondering if he was even ‘allowed’ to talk to him when Andrew wasn’t the one to approach him.

But Andrew glanced up and quirked up the corner of his mouth, “Hello Neil.”

He looked him over, and Neil felt slightly unsettled, and flattered. Until Andrew frowned,

“Where’s your pin?”

Neil pursed his lips to keep from smiling, and brushed his hair behind his ears. One ear had a normal diamond earring in it, and the other had the pin.

Andrew’s small smile came back and he tossed both his phone and journal off his knees, and stood up. He used a finger under Neil’s chin to tilt his head to the side, and looked.

“Did you pierce your ears for this?”

Neil couldn’t help the way he snorted, “No, I did that last year. I thought it looked interesting.”

Andrew stepped back, leaning down and picking his stuff up, “Interesting indeed.”

They walked out of the aisle together, Neil’s book could be gotten later. Something made him want to be in Andrew’s presents for as long as he allowed it.

Matt was with Seth. They were studying at one of the large tables, books everywhere and paper in the places books weren't. When he was spotted, Neil could feel the betrayal rolling off him like waves.

-

Matt was sitting on the couch, watching a sport that Neil didn’t care about. Maybe after this talk, Neil could convince him to put on exy.

Neil sat on the other end of the couch. Matt turned to him,

“Oh. You finally want to hang out with me?”

Neil rolled his eyes, “I can hang out with more people then just you and Seth. I do like you guys, and your my friends, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have other friends.”

Matt deflated, and Neil almost felt bad for his harsh words, but then Matt said,

“Yeah, I know. And watching me hopelessly flirt with Seth probably.”

Neil’s brain glitched, “Oh.”

Matt snorted, “Oh. I thought I was being obvious.”

Neil tilted his head to the side in thought, “Now that you point it out it is, but I’m ace, so I just didn’t realize it.”

Matt made an ‘ah’ noise, as if he finally put the last piece into the puzzle known as Neil Josten. Neil knew he had just completed the first hundred of a thousand pieces, and was in for a nasty shock.

“Yeah, well. Dan, my future wife, keeps tell me to go for it, and I keep dropping hints, but I would rather keep a good friend then drive him away. You know?”

Neil shook his head, and Matt laughed.

Neil sat back more fully onto the couch, and thought for a moment,

“You should just tell him. Your torturing yourself with keeping it in, and if he doesn’t like you back, it would be better for you both to be separate so you can get over it faster.”

Matt looked at him like he had grown another head, “Ok, romance gooru. Maybe I will.”

Neil just shrugged, “Can we watch exy now?”

-

When Andrew said they met once a week, he meant it. Sometimes others wouldn’t be able to come, but Andrew went every week. And Neil was almost always with him. He didn;t understand what pulled him to Andrew, the way he talked, the way he stood up for anyone in his group. He was strong, and Neil had never wanted to stay against someone’s side more than the moment they had gotten knocked together that one time by Jeremy.

It was mid December when things started to change.

These days, they all sit in their cars. Renee wasn’t there that day, Andrew’s one friend outside of the school, and so Kevin and Aaron got out of the car, and into Allison’s. Katelyn was there that day, and in the car waiting for them. But Allison got out and went to Jeremy and Kevin’s car as soon as they got there.

Neil turned his attention away from the others, looking to Andrew, who had stayed right where he was. Neil and Andrew had talked more than Neil ever expected them to. Mostly banter, but some days were serious. They had a game, where they would tell each other the truth, and only the truth. Neil told as much as he could without going against what his mother had drilled into his head. Keeping with the current story.

Andrew leaned his head against the headrest, letting the car run, and the radio play.

Neil was content with the silence, letting himself be in Andrew’s presence.

“Truth?” Andrew’s voice broke threw his thoughts. Neil nodded.

“What happened to your face?” Oh, Andrew was bold today. Neil wasn’t surprised he’d noticed.

Neil shrugged, he hadn’t thought about what to say, but he decided on something more real then was advisable, 

“My step-mom got pissed and took a dashboard lighter to it. Plastic surgery can only do so much, but it’s much less,” he struggled for a moment to find the right word, “Raised, then it could be.”

Andrew stared at him for a long moment. He swallowed hard, then reached a hand out, and Neil didn’t even flinch when Andrew’s hand slowly pressed into his face, thumb finding the now healed indent in his cheek. Neil gave a little sigh,

“My father did worse. He just made sure to not do it where other people can see.”

Andrew pulled his hand back almost as slowly as he reached it out, and when he was done, he let his hand drop.

“Your turn.”

Neil thought it over, wondering what could possible be an equivalent to such a question, and maybe the freely given information,

“Why don’t you like to be touched?”

Andrew gave a joyless huff.

“When I was 16, I spent the summer with this woman. Her adult son liked small teenage boys who were almost legal. She didn’t, doesn’t know. I’m just glad that year was one of the ones Mother Dearest decided me and Aaron needed to be separated. I actually liked the woman. She was nice.”

Neil felt his stomach sour.

Andrew’s eyes wandered over to Neil, he had a curious look in his eyes, “I don’t like surprise touches. I like when people ask and I get to decide if they, cause I get to say no and I almost always do. I think I would tell you yes.”

Neil swallowed hard, but before he could answer, Kevin and Aaron opened the door and piled in, shivering and whining about how cold it was.

When they got back to school, the others piled out, but Neil stayed, and so Andrew did too. He watched them walk up the steps, and watched as Aaron threw his head back and laughed at something Kevin said.

“There are things I can’t tell you that I want to. But I’ve kept deep so long, and some of them are not mine to share.”

He turned back to Andrew, and Andrew just shrugged, “Tell me when you can.”  
Neil held out his hand when Andrew went to get out of the car, and he paused. Neil looked around, no one else was there and Neil took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and then he unbuckled and turned in his seat. He unzipped his coat, pulling it and his shirt collar aside. Letting Andrew see the imprint of the perfect burn from a hot iron on his shoulder. Andrew’s wasn’t slow this time, just pressed his hand to the scar, his fingers fitting perfectly in between the bumps.

“Why show me?”

Neil just shrugged, feeling Andrew’s hand move with his shoulder, “Cause I told you. I wanted to give you the proof.”

Andrew just shook his head, and pulled back,

“Why’d he do it?”

Neil was tempted not say anything, not wanting another round of truth, but he didn’t have any reason not to tell Andrew,

“I wasn’t quiet when he was in a meeting.”

Andrew gave a harsh breath out of his nose, and Neil knew it took everything in Andrew not to slam the car door on his way out. Neil thought that if he had gotten out of the car in the clearing he wouldn’t have been able to stop from slamming it.

-

Neil leaned back in the grass in their clearing. He could hear the others around him, Jeremy shouting something before a loud splash in the creek and then louder laughter. He knew they were enjoying being together before they would have to miss next week's meeting for a school break.

He was enjoying the sun, even though he knew he would soon be sunburned. It had been cloudy all week, and just this little bit was enough to improve his mood. It was still chill, but the February air had been warmer than normal. Or maybe that was always how it was here, considering that Neil had never lived in this state in winter.

He felt the earth shake a tiny bit beside him as some walked closer, and then the grass to his right moved away from him.

Neil looked over, and saw Andrew laying next to him, braily an inch between them.

Neil felt his mouth suddenly go dry, remembering last week's meeting, and Andrew telling Neil he would blow him if Neil wanted that.

Neil wasn't sure what he wanted, and he'd told Andrew that, told him he's never thought of other people like that, and doesn't know if it's something he wants. He told him to talk to him about it again at the next meeting.

Neil sighed and looked back up to the tree above them, the filtered light making everything glow golden, especially Andrew, and Neil couldn't look at him without his breath being taken away.

"Well", Neil saw Andrew stretch his arm up over his head, "What's the verdict junkie."

Neil sighed, and turned on his side fully to face Andrew,

"I don't know what all I would be comfortable with, but I do know I want to kiss you so bad that I have to actively not think about it."

Andrew stayed still for a moment before rolling onto his side to face Neil. He slowly reached out, and press his palm to Neil's cheek.

"Drama queen." His voice was strained, and then he pushed himself up on one arm, leaning over Neil.

Neil saw Andrew glowing golden, and then he was being kissed, molten and slow.

-

Andrew was smoking as he drove, the window down, and the air moving his hair around his head like waves.

Neil was nervous. Andrew had grabbed him, pulled him into Neil’s dorm and told him to pack enough for the weekend. He’d sent a wave to Matt on the way out, and even though he looked a little concerned he didn’t look out-right out-raged, and Seth just raised an eyebrow at him. Neil raised one back, taking in his position tucked under Matt’s arm. Neil wondered how long it would take him to stop denying that they were together. Even though Matt had told him almost as soon as it had happened. According to Matt, Dan had been thrilled for him.

When they got in the car, Neil noticed it was just the two of them. They drove in silence for awhile, the radio not even on, just the steady hum of the engine, and the wind.

“Where are we going?” Neil almost had to shout to be heard, but Andrew just flicked his cigarette out and rolled the window up,

“Home.”

He said it like it should be obvious. Neil didn’t know where home was for Andrew, had heard him talk about how as soon as he had turned eighteen he had bought a brownstone about an hour from the school, and how that was where Aaron, Kevin and him had lived in the summer. Neil knew they were not going wherever it was that Tilda lived, cause that would never be home to Andrew or Aaron, and the way he talked about her, he was glad to be out of her life.

It helped that Andrew was a genius and already had four different job offers from some of the top companies from around the world. He would never have to want for anything, except that Andrew couldn’t care less.

They were silent the rest of the ride, and when they pulled in front of a row of houses all similar and all pretty in a way that can only be described as old.

Andrew sighed, pulling the keys, “Here it is.”

Neil followed his gaze, his eyes on the windows, noticing how one of the second story windows had blackout curtains.

Neil got out of the car, and heard Andrew do the same. He quickly got around to the other side of the car, trying to take his bag from Andrew, but Andre just put it further on his shoulder with his own, walking up the stairs to the door, leaving Neil no choice but to follow.

He caught up with Andrew as he unlocked the door, and then they were stepping into the lowlight coming from the windows. Andrew flicked on the lights as they got in and shut the door behind them.

Neil stared at the high ceiling in the entryway, the colors were warm, and deep, lots of greens and velvet when he peaked around the corner into the living room.

Andrew toed off his shoes at the door, and Neil backed up a couple steps to copy him. And then Andrew stomped up the stairs in a way that Neil could only describe as ‘homey’. As in, this was his home, and he was comfortable with stomping up them. Neil followed, unable to let his feet fall as fast and hard as Andrew had.

When he found Andrew it was in one of the bedrooms, supposedly Andrew’s, with the way he threw his own bag in the closet, and Neil’s, he sat on his bed.

Neil looked around, taking in the posters, and the notes tapped to the walls; the way the floor was clean, but his desk was covered. Andrew made a soft noise, and Neil looked back to him,

“This is my room. Obviously. There’s a guest room if you want to stay there, but I thought.” He trailed off, and Neil sucked in a breath,

“I’ll stay wherever you want me.”

Andrew rolled his eyes, but nodded.

“I’ll show you the place, I have a library that’ll rival Beast’s.”

-

Later that night Neil leaned against the counter, watching Andrew cook dinner.

“Aaron and Kevin are moving Kevin’s stuff into his house this weekend. It’s the only reason we are alone.” 

Neil nodded, having heard them talk about it for most of the week. But Andrew sounded almost like he was on the verge of upset,

“Do you not want Kevin to move?” He kept his voice light, but the question was serious.

Andrew shrugged, and the rolled his shoulders back,

“I know he needs, wants too. But no, I’d rather he lived here. But then again, I have been told I have a protective streak to rival Maes Hughs.”

Neil hummed, but then Andrew’s mouth quirked into a small smirk,

“You don’t know who that is.”

He said it like a statement and Neil didn’t argue.

Andrew went back to stirring the noodles,

“Welp. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just be here on the weekends with you. And Aaron.”

When he said it the tips of his ears turned pink, and Neil smiled brightly at him.

-

Neil sat beside Andrew on the steps outside. Andrew was smoking, watching the people walk down the sidewalk,

“I wonder when the others will finally catch on to the fact that we are together.”

Neil gave a harsh laugh at Andrew’s words, “We are way more subtle then they are.”

Andrew turned sharply to look at him, “What.”

Neil felt a genuine spark of amusement light in his chest, “what you didn’t know?”

Andrew just continued to stare at him, and Neil felt like maybe Andrew really didn’t know.

“Oh.”

Andrew took a drag and blew it toward Neil. Neil just rolled his eyes, gently taking Andrew’s hand holding the cigarette, and leaned down to meet it, taking his own drag from it.

When he pulled back, Andrew was looking at him with blown out eyes, and Neil let it out slowly through his nose,

“I caught them making out in the library the day you first talked to me.”

Andrew turned back to the road, and didn’t speak until the cigarette was gone,

“Makes since, I would never go to the library before you came along. I hope I made them panic trying to find a new cozy corner.”

Neil chuckled, “I think they are trying to woo Katelyn. Unless they succeeded and I didn’t notice that.”

Andrew’s eyebrows drew together, “Well. I hope they have the brains to remember to use protection, after only fucking each other for so long.”

Neil pressed the heel of his palm to his mouth to keep from out right cackling.

-

Neil watched Andrew from the doorway. He was reading a book, it looked old, and he was handling it with care. His glasses were sitting almost on the end of his nose, shirtless and in his sleep pants, he looked like a picture with the golden sunlight coming in through the window behind him. Neil dragged his eyes away from Andrew and looked around the room. He knew Andrew had said he turned the guest room into a library that was worthy of a librarian’s jealousy, but the room looked like it should have been straight out of a movie. He had been it multiple times over the last few months Andrew had invited him back Home with him.

His eyes drifted back to Andrew, his eyes had left the book, and were on Neil. It made Neil’s insides do somersaults with the way his eyes peered over his glasses at him.

Neil pushed himself off the doorway, and walked into the room slowly. Andrew’s stance was open, but Neil still felt like he was intruding in some way.

“What are you reading?” Neil was quiet when he spoke, but the room was even quieter, so he wasn’t worried that Andrew wouldn’t hear him.

Andrew titled the book up, and Neil could see that the spine wasn’t in english. A collection of Shakespeare in German.

Neil let out a soft laugh. Andrew’s eyes flickered back down to his book,

“It’s required reading. I thought I’d have some fun with it, since I’ve read it before.”

Neil rolled his eyes, letting his fingers ghost over the spines of books as he made his way farther into the room near Andrew,

“Of course you have.”

Andrew closed the book and sat it back on the shelf, grabbing Neil’s wrist now that he was close enough, and backed them up until they reached the big desk in the middle of the room. Neil let himself be tugged along, a thrill in his chest at whatever it was Andrew had planned. Andrew let go, only for a second, hopping onto the edge of the table, and grabbing Neil, pulling him close, knee’s parting for somewhere for Neil to go, when he spoke, his breath tickled Neil’s lips,

“Of course I have.”

And then he grabbed Neil by his hair and kissed him.

You’d think Neil hadn’t spent the night in Andrew’s room, in his bed, that they hadn’t done this more then once already, that they hadn’t been doing this for a couple months at this point; with the soft sounds Neil made, and the way he got shivers.

-

Neil was tense. More tense then he felt like he had any right to be.

It was their last field trip. Ever. He had heard Matt talking about how big of a deal it was, but Neil had never been on a field trip in the first place, so he didn't get the significance.

For their english class they were reading Jane Austen, of course, and because of the old tradition of ‘house tours’, the school had thought it a wonderful idea to do a tour of a family house. 

And his uncle had volunteered.

Neil was desperately hoping none of his family would be home for this.

Andrew was at the head of the group, for some reason this seemed to fascinate him, and Neil distantly hoped it had nothing to do with being in his mothers ‘rivals’ home. Neil stayed at the back. Kevin was beside him. They were both silent. The only reason Matt wasn’t with him was because him and Seth had become more clingy since they finally made it official to their friend group that they where together.

Of course his hope would not come true as his ‘Aunt’ came down the stairs holding his little sister.

His sister had grown since he had last seen her, and he felt a pool of guilt settle into his stomach.

Kevin made a small sound next to him, and Neil reached out and grabbed his wrist, silently begging him not to draw Andrew’s attention.

Mary paused, the sight of such a large crowd was probably not a welcome sight, but she immediately fell into the roll of a doting housewife, bouncing Ava on her hip and she walked down the stairs.

Her eyes finally caught his, and he was hoping she wouldn’t say anything to him when Ava saw him, and started making a fuss. Wanting to be put down. Mary just continued down the steps as if she didn’t have a squirming 1 year old in her arms.

When she got to the bottom, she turned to the ‘guide’, and smiled. It was the softest smile he had ever seen on his mothers face.

“Hello. I’m Mary Hatford, my husband isn’t here to give the tour today, so me and Ava will be walking with you today.”

Neil felt his stomach drop.

Ava kept looking back at him, and Neil decided enough was enough, he was stupid anyways, and he walked to the front of the group, Kevin stayed rooted to the spot, probably in shock that his mother was alive, and married to her brother.

Neil paused by Andrew and Aaron, waiting for Mary to see him, and when she did, she held Ava out slightly, and he walked forward and took her from her.

He turned and walked back to Kevin, feeling Andrew’s eyes on him the whole time. When he got to Kevin he started talking, letting ‘his’ accent into his words,

“Hello Ava. This is Kevin, he’s a really good friend of mine.”

Ava made a tiny giggling noise, and then grabbed at Neil’s face to let him know she was happy to see him.

Neil sighed, and looked up, Andrew was turned to him, even though Mary was speaking about the house, and the art in it; if Andrew really was magic, like the whole school liked to spread rumors about, Neil felt like he would probably be on fire.

In the dining room Andrew caught up with him, his arms crossed, and he held them back from the crowd. Neil watched as they left the room, not even noticing.

Neil shifted Ava, who was looking at Andrew brightly.

Andrew wordlessly walked in front of them, stopping and eyes dropping to Ava. Neil leaned down to his sister.

“This is Andrew. He means everything to me.”

Ava had turned her head to look at Neil while he spoke, but she turned her attention back to Andrew, and held out her arms to him. Neil watched with a deep fondness in his bones as Andrew took her from him. Ava reached up and lightly touched Andrew’s face, like she had done to Neil, but gentler.

“And.” Her little voice was soft, and Neil knew it was because she was getting closer to her nap time. She looked back to him, her expression happy,

“Eil!”

Andrew snorted, “Eel?”

The teacher walked briskly back into the room, along with his mother, “You two. I knew you would get into trouble, but keep up with the group. I know this is your house Mr.Josten, but that doesn’t mean you can take your boyfriend on a private tour.”

His mother shot him a dark look, and took Ava out of Andrew’s arms before Neil could even get a word out. She walked briskly from the room.

Neil didn’t feel much like going after her, but he walked slowly behind Andrew, and he could feel the need to ask questions rolling off of him.

-

Neil pursed his lips, eyes stinging but refusing to cry, he hadn’t cried in ten years, and he wouldn’t now; as Andrew stood in front of him, the demand still ringing in his ears,

“Tell me what that was about Neil!”

Neil looked to the side. They were in The Monsters clearing. It was empty except for them, the grass was starting to green and it felt intimidating.

“My birth name is Nathaniel Wesninski.”

Neil turned just in time to see Andrew’s shoulders tense up. Neil let out an awful laugh,

“I guess you know who that is.”

Andrew gave a tense nod.

“Yeah, well. It gets worse.” He sighed through his nose, and then reached up and scrubbed his eyes,

“My mom decided two years ago, after he got her pregnant and told her to get rid of it, that she had had enough. I don’t know why it wasn’t when he was beating the shit out of me, but hey, I’ll never give her a mother of the year award.”

He paused, and dropped his hands, looking Andrew in the eyes for the first time since they got there. Andrew’s face was filled with rage,

“So, she took me, and ran. For eight months we were on the run, and then they caught up with us, but they only got me.”

Neil tapped the scars on his face, “Mom kept going. Turns out Uncle Stuart had been planning on going to the police about my father for some time, and you probably know the rest if you were paying attention to the news at the time. I’m lucky to be alive, if the police hadn’t made it the night they had, I would be dead.”

Neil finally felt the tears leave his eyeline, felt them trail down his face, “And I went into Stuart's custody, and we found my mom. She was wanted for so many things, but the FBI said they could pull some strings since I helped so much and have us go into witness.”

Neil couldn’t look at Andrew anymore, and he looked at his own feet, “and then my uncle pulled his own strings, and now my mom is legally married to her brother, Ava is legally their daughter, and I am my mom and my uncle's adopted child.”

“What.” Andrew’s voice was strained, and it didn’t exactly sound like a question.

Neil let out another laugh, this one crazier than the last, “you always talk about living the aesthetic Andrew, is it surprising that weird shit is actually happening in the shadows?”

Andrew’s feet came into view, and then his hand was on Neil’s cheek, “no, it’s not surprising.”

And then Andrew pulled him closer, pressing Neil’s face against his shoulder, “Just surprised you didn’t tell me.”

“I wanted to. Before we went, but I couldn’t get you alone. Mostly, I wanted to tell you that I’m a Hatford. You said ‘tell me when you can’ I decided I could. And then we found out about the trip and it felt like I was being ripped open, cause I wanted to tell you, but it felt like I couldn’t.”

Andrew hummed, “I’m only going to say this once. I’m sorry. For not listening when you needed me.”

Neil shook his head hard on Andrew’s shoulder, “No, that’s not something you get to feel guilty for. You were busy. You can’t take care of everyone Andrew.”

Andrew squeezed hard around Neil’s shoulders, “Doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying.”

They stood there for sometime, Andrew rocking them slowly back and forth, when he pulled back he held Neil’s face in his hands, and looked him in the eye,

“I don’t care that Stuart Hatford is your Uncle. I have never given a damn about what my mother does, and I will not start now. You are everything.”

Neil turned his head, and kissed Andrew’s palm.

-

Neil held his diploma in one hand and his backpack in the other.

It felt like just yesterday that he had stepped foot into this school, into Andrew’s life, and it felt weird that he was now leaving permanently.

But as he looked around his and Matt’s now empty room, it also felt right. To be leaving behind a nice memory in a good place. Four walls where nothing bad happened, so he could go live in a new place where he could have more good memories. With Andrew.

Andrew was standing in the door waiting for him, their stuff in a moving truck and the back of Andrew’s car.

It would just be them, both on the drive Home, and living in Andrew’s brownstone.

Aaron, Katelyn and Kevin were all moving in together, to the surprise of no one. The surprise was that they had moved again, and were just going to be across the street. Neil thought about how dependent the twins had been, and felt that it didn’t matter if they lived close for the rest of their lives, as long as they were happy.

Matt and Seth were getting an apartment somewhere in New York with Dan, and had promised to keep in touch.

Neil turned to Andrew, and followed him out the door, out to whatever and wherever they wanted to go.

**Author's Note:**

> -Me: I will never write a long fic ever again, I have lost all inspiration, and shall be cursed to only write short on shots. This fic: Yeah, about that.  
> -so, it’ll become more apparent as the story goes on, but this isn’t exactly linear, it’s told in scenes with days, weeks, and sometimes months in between, and somethings don’t get shown. But that's just how this story is meant to be told.  
> -Ok, so some of you are going to be…. Shocked?? At something that happens. But remember, it's ‘dark’ academia for a reason, and if there wasn’t something ‘dark’ and for the shock factor in here then it wouldn’t be, would it?  
> -Ok, Mary and Stuart do NOT FUCK. Ok. It’s just kinda that Stuart isn’t willing to let her out of his sight, and this is the solution that worked. They don’t kiss, they don’t hug, they don’t fuck, it's just a way for her to stay there, and a way for Ava to be safe from Nathan, who is in jail. The end.  
> -There's a couple quotes from tfc in here, and I did change a line so Andrew says it instead of Kevin, but it makes so much sense for Andrew to say it in this fic, so I am not sorry.  
> -Nathan is not The Butcher in this universe, but he was known for doing shady business, and he was very abusive.  
> -Neil is 18, Andrew is 19 almost 20, him and Aaron got held back a year, because Andrew wanted to stick with Kevin who is 18 almost 19 (Who got held back because of Riko and ‘the scandal’ and a year out of school), and Aaron has to stay with Andrew. They have a better relationship in this au, and are a little bit codependent, but they are breaking from that.  
> -Nicky visits, but Tilda is still alive, just distant, and sometimes verbally abusive, but she shipped them off to boarding schools and peoples houses in the summer as soon as she could so as not to deal with them, so she doesn't have the time to be physically abusive. They haven't seen her for more than a few minutes at a time in about 5 years at this point. She didn't give them up because she runs a super in the spotlight company (let's say this world's Amazon or something like it), and didn't want it to come back and bite her in the ass if it got out that she gave kids up for adoption while she's running a trillion (ugh) dollar company.  
> -Nicky married Erik, who is also rich af, and that’s how he still has money. His parents disowned him when he was 17 for being gay, but since they are rich and also in the spotlight some they didn’t send him anywhere to ‘fix’ his gay-ness, trying not to cause a scandal.  
> -there's a couple scenes I didn't get around to writing, so there might be another chapter in the future but for now this is complete.


End file.
